Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       Sinn Féin’s Planning for Constitutional Change Bill, which obliges the Government to draft and publish a Green Paper on unification within 18 months, failed to win support from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, or independents.  

·       All Government TDs also voted against a PBP Bill to ban hare coursing. The Bill presented an issue where the party whip could have been spared in favour of a free vote, given the public’s clear support to outlaw the practice. The Bill was overwhelmingly defeated by 125 votes to 24.

·       And this week saw Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and far-right French leader Marine Le Pen take the biggest political gambles of their respective careers.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Graham Platner crashes and burns, dwindling swag bags for visiting journalists, and the derelict ‘Carlton’ site on O’Connell Street is snapped up by MetroLink.

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For Germany, football is often a reflection of the nations’ stability.

“When Germany is going well, things are going well on the pitch” Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally tells the Inside Politics podcast.

Following another premature exit from a world cup tournament they won only 12 years ago; in football, as in German politics, the future is uncertain.

Host Hugh Linehan asks where the major fault lines are in the upcoming federal elections in September. Elections, Scally explains, that are likely to be won by the far-right party Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) bar any major shifts.

“Establishment parties are seen as lacking ideas and energy” Scally says. “The sense of a government exhausting its political potential seems to be a general agreement around Berlin”.

Europe’s biggest economy is vulnerable on a number of fronts. It relies on Chinese manufacturing for its automotive sector, while facing major competition from increasingly popular, often cheaper, Chinese car makers.

Though the Christian Democrats’ Fredrick Merz has only been Chancellor for a year, “frustration” and “fatigue” are already creeping into public sentiment, Scally says.

Could his 34-point plan announced last week, including pension reforms, tax cuts, and business deregulation, turn things around? 

Produced by Andrew McNair

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British MP Nigel Farage has resigned as an MP triggering a by-election in the constituency of Clacton-on-Sea which he says he will stand in.

It comes amid a row over his financial support, after The Sunday Times reported he had not declared benefits, including staff and security, received from his ally George Cottrell, who was convicted of fraud in the US.

“I’ve done nothing wrong” Farage said on a live stream provided by his UK Reform party and broadcast on British news channels.

Hugh speaks to our London Correspondent Mark Paul in the moments after the speech about what this move represents for British politics, and what happens next.

Produced by Andrew McNair. 

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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union got off to a slightly awkward start at the opening ceremony at Dublin Castle on Wednesday when guest Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned against “material emanating from a plant in Ireland” being used in Russia’s war effort. The Ukrainian president didn’t name Aughinish Alumina, but his feelings were clear.

·       Dozens of solicitors walked out of District Court rooms on Wednesday in protest against a new pay system for legal aid. This marked an escalation in tensions with Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan who has pushed the reform through.

·       The Government are not going to act on Oireachtas committee recommendations on the decriminalisation of the possession of drugs for personal use.

·       And as the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, how has the country lived up to the principals and aspirations of its founding fathers?

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Hugh Linehan is joined by Alex Kane to discuss the double life of disgraced politician Jeffrey Donaldosn and its broader impact on the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as well as Ulster unionism overall. 

Alex Kane is an Irish News columnist and a political commentator as well as a former director of communications for the Ulster Unionist Party. The pair discuss a recent wave of stories that reveal the hypocritical behaviour of self-professed christian Donaldson over the course of his career; from projectile vomiting on the Mayor of Beijing to swigging from a wine bottle in the House of Commons and being spotted entering a gay sauna.  

Kane says it seems as if no one in the DUP attempted to address this highly inappropriate behaviour. He also highlights a growing conspiracy theory among unionists who believe the British government may have used this information to blackmail Donaldson to return to the Northern Ireland Assembly.  

In today’s episode, they discuss what all of this spells for the future of unionism in Ulster.  

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Last week Pat Leahy sat down with former Labour leader Pat Rabbitte for an interview about his life in politics. 

Rabbitte is now retired but for decades he was one of the most recognisable faces and voices of centre left politics in Ireland. 

As a minister in the 2011 Fine Gael-Labour coalition, he witnessed first hand the events explored in our recent mini series on the subject.

He talked about the decisions he made as party leader and as a minister, as well as his formative years in the west of Ireland and 1960s America, and what he thinks of today’s splintered centre-left.

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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics:

All anyone can talk about this week is the weather. While the country enjoys the warmth, the Government still has to find balance between spending to prevent climate change and spending to mitigate the impact of change that has already arrived. 

Keir Starmer may be gone but the UK's biggest problem remains: the lack of growth in their economy.

Proposed “reform” (read: scrapping) of the “triple lock” restriction on Irish overseas military deployment has run into trouble due to disquiet among Fianna Fail backbenchers. If not a rebellion, there was certainly “a renewed amount of grumbling” over the issue. But will it be a real problem for Taoiseach Micheal Martin? 

Plus the panel pick their IT stories of the week including a plea for underground bins, Michael McDowell’s bold predictions and the divestment of Catholic church patronage.

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Next week Ireland takes over the presidency of the EU Council. But what does that mean? What exactly is the EU Council anyway? How does this council and this presidency fit in among the numerous other European councils and presidents? And how is Ireland going to approach the challenges and opportunities the six-month position brings? To find out Pat Leahy talks to Jack Horgan-Jones and Jack Power.

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Jack Horgan-Jones and Mark Paul join Harry McGee to look back on the week in politics:

·       Taoiseach Micheál Martin is in Brussels for the EU summit this week, also in attendance is Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy who is pushing for serious peace negotiations with Russia. Will Vladimir Putin come to the negotiation table? And could Ukraine’s EU membership be fast-tracked during Ireland’s upcoming EU presidency?

·       Security, competitiveness and the EU budget are some of the issues that will come into focus as Ireland becomes a deal maker and parks parochial affairs for the duration of its six-month presidency starting July 1st.

·       And with Andy Burnham justifying the hype by crushing Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in the Makerfield byelection, will prime minister Keir Starmer go quietly or hang around for a leadership battle he stands little chance of winning?

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Jimmy Wales founded Wikipedia in January 2001, and almost nobody thought that an encyclopedia that anyone in the world was allowed to edit would actually work. But a quarter of a century later, Wikipedia is still one of the most visited websites on Earth and one of the few large-scale online institutions that people across the political spectrum broadly trust.  

In his new book, The Seven Rules of Trust, Wales argues that what made Wikipedia work was a set of principles encompassing human nature, reciprocity, purpose, civility, independence and transparency.

He joins Hugh to talk about where Wikipedia came from, what those principles are and whether they offer any way out of the crisis of trust that is currently shaping politics across the democratic world. 

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Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee join Hugh to discuss the week in politics:

The disorder in Northern Ireland since a knife attack in Belfast on Monday reached levels not seen since “the worst possible days of the Troubles”, the Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable Jon Boutcher said. In a society with a history of sectarianism, there are complex layers to the events taking place.

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll McNeill won her battle with the Rotunda Hospital this week.

The Football Association of Ireland has confirmed that Ireland’s Nations League clash with Israel on October 4th will be played at a neutral venue and behind closed doors.

Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times stories of the week. 

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In a new book coauthored with fellow political scientists, UCD’s Aidan Regan argues that the three goals of democracy, economic growth and effective climate action are at odds with one another, and that the resulting “trilemma” requires novel political solutions to solve. 

On today's podcast Aidan talks to Hugh about why it is so difficult to balance these goals and potential solutions.

They also discuss why effective climate action should be linked to improved standards of living, not increased costs; whether regulations are really to blame for our failure to deliver infrastructure and housing; how China manages to achieve economic growth while leading in the transition to green technology; and whether “degrowth” is a realistic path to sustainability or a political impossibility. 

The New Trilemma of Advanced Capitalism: Democracy, Growth and Effective Climate Action by Aidan Regan, Hanna Schwander, Cyril Benoît and Tim Vlandas is available now. 

Aidan Regan is a professor of political economy at the school of politics and international relations at University College Dublin

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For a special crossover episode of Inside Politics Hugh Linehan welcomes US podcaster Galen Druke, the host of GD Politics and formerly of the FiveThirtyEight politics podcast, for a discussion of the Irish and US political scenes. They cover topics including:

They also talk about the fate of FiveThirtyEight, a popular website and podcast that was eventually shuttered after being acquired by ABC News. 

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Pat Leahy and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has come out this week to demand the Rotunda maternity hospital withdraw permission for consultants on public-only contracts to practise privately on its premises. If not, it could have its funding pulled.

·       An investigation by Swedish tax authorities alleges that Oligarch and Vladimir Putin associate Oleg Deripaska, who is under EU sanctions over his role in supporting the invasion of Ukraine, still controls Rusal, the company that owns the Co Limerick industrial plant Aughinish Alumina.

·       And an explosive interview from Michael Healy-Rae on Radio Kerry detailed how he was “pulled overboard” by his brother and fellow Independent TD Danny, resulting in him resigning his position as minister of state. Could the rift see the brothers run against each other in the next general election?

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       The joy of your first World Cup, the Leaving Cert is a tough but valuable experience, and Andy Burnham’s byelection test in a Reform stronghold.

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Pat joins Hugh after interviewing Fianna Fáil's Darragh O'Brien about major issues related to his twin ministries, Transport and Climate, Energy and the Environment. They listen back to the interview and discuss what O'Brien had to say about a new scrappage scheme to encourage the purchase of EVs, Ireland's certain failure to hit its legally-binding emissions targets in 2030 and the financial cost to the state of that failure.

They also discuss data centres and the future of Fianna Fail's leadership after a disappointing showing in the recent byelections.

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Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       The left-wing alliance that was formed during Catherine Connolly’s presidential campaign is already straining, with the Social Democrats, Labour and People Before Profit concerned with the policy direction of Sinn Féin on issues like migration and reproductive rights.

·       Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins was not impressed by left-leaning voters neglecting to supply party candidate Noel Thomas with enough transfers to prevail in the recent Galway West byelection. Perhaps those voters did not want to give Thomas a preference given his far from left-leaning stance on immigration.

·       The omission of services from the Occupied Territories Bill, which targets Israeli imports produced from Palestinian lands, came as a surprise to no one. After many months of mulling it over, the Taoiseach was accused by Opposition parties of reneging on promises to prohibit all trade with settlements. Government can expect many calls for amendments when it is brought to Oireachtas in the coming weeks.

·       And the building of one-off rural housing could become easier with plans to relax the rules for rural housing, aimed at allowing for increased supply, expected to be brought to Cabinet next month.

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RTÉ has been in the news again lately thanks to renewed controversy over payments to presenters. So it is a timely moment for the release of a new book on the institution. RTÉ: Saints, Scholars, and Scandals is the latest work by former TD, minister and journalist Shane Ross, who brings his dual experience of media and politics to bear on this unwieldy subject.

He talks to Hugh about the deep roots of RTÉ's structural problems, Fianna Fáil's dominance of RTÉ throughout its history (exemplified by Gay Byrne's cozy relationship with Charles Haughey) and the damaging recent scandals over payments and governance.

He tells Hugh the frustration politicians feel over negative coverage is the reason cash-strapped RTÉ has not enjoyed a licence fee increase since 2008.

Ross also talks about how illness (he is recovering from throat cancer) derailed the book for a few years.

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Journalist and author Helen Lewis has built a reputation for sharp analysis of politics, culture and the forces reshaping public life.

In one piece for The Atlantic she unpicks policies, and the figures promoting them, arguing against some rights for women.

On today’s podcast Helen tells Hugh about influential figures who would once have been considered “fringe” coming to the fore.

She explains why questions around women’s rights and gender identity have become so politically explosive, and how media and politics have become entangled in a cycle of outrage and performance.

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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh to talk about the results of the Dublin Central and Galway West byelections: 

As the day began Fine Gael were confident that their man, Senator Sean Kyne, would win the seat. That confidence wavered a little as Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas picked up significant transfers throughout the morning. In the end it wasn’t enough and Fine Gael leader Tanaiste Simon Harris was celebrating a rare byelection win for a party in power. But is he right to call it “a victory for centrist politics”? 

Independent Ireland can be encouraged by Noel Thomas’s performance in Galway West. 

Fine Gael and Social Democrats are the winners on this occasion. But can they turn these victories into long-term success? 

There was evidence of “vote left, transfer left” behaviour in Galway. But many of Sinn Féin’s voters gave their second preferences to Independent Ireland rather than Labour or Social Democrats. 

Fianna Fáil were the other big losers in this campaign. But how much do these byelections, both won by strong local candidates, really tell us about the strength of the party nationwide?

Should the counting of votes take so long? Hugh and Pat think not, but Harry McGee dissents. 

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A picture is emerging in the byelection counts. Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy, Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones to discuss what we have learned so far:

On the basis of the numbers available on Saturday afternoon, Social Democrats councillor Daniel Ennis and Fine Gael senator Sean Kyne look well placed to take seats in Dublin Central and Galway West respectively. But transfers could still shift result in Galway West where Independent Ireland's Noel Thomas is polling strongly.

The anti-establishment vote in Dublin Central has grown significantly with strong showings from both Gerry Hutch and Malachy Steenson.

Sinn Féin's apparent failure to top the poll in either constituency is a bad result for the leader of the opposition Mary Lou McDonald.

The results are even worse for Fianna Fáil, with its showing in Dublin Central, once a party stronghold, likely to be of particular concern to Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

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Pat Leahy and Naomi O’Leary join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       Taoiseach Micheál Martin arrived in Italy on Friday, meeting Pope Leo in the Vatican and Italian premier Giorgia Meloni in Rome. This is part of a round of meetings with leaders ahead of Ireland’s EU presidency starting in July, with Martin meeting French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday. An estimated 270 meetings with senior politicians are scheduled for the duration of Ireland’s EU presidency, expect a lot of traffic disruption around Dublin Castle.

·       Naomi O’Leary has been covering the taoiseach’s tour, where he has been keen to highlight the mistreatment of Gaza aid flotilla activists detained by Israeli forces. Could this, coupled with the slowdown in humanitarian aid into Gaza and the continued killing and displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank, finally spark the EU into placing sanctions on Israel?

·       And record rent surges in the first quarter of 2026. There was a 4.4 per cent increase between December and March as the Government’s new rent control system came into effect.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Arsenal end 22-year wait for title win, the tragic death of Yves Sakila, and the issues foreign investment presents for Ireland.

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Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee join Hugh for a final look at the Dublin Central and Galway West byelections before voting takes place on Friday.

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Economist and author Sinead O'Sullivan ruffled some feathers recently with her analysis of Ireland’s deficits in infrastructure and services. Her critiques of the State’s failure to deliver things that are taken for granted in other similarly wealthy countries sparked debate and drew pushback from figures including former taoiseach Leo Varadkar. 

On today’s Inside Politics podcast she talks to Hugh about how her professional background in designing complex systems made it “ impossible for me not to see” the flaws she identifies in the Irish model. She argues that Ireland lacks strong institutions capable of separating long-term delivery from electoral politics, resulting in costly, short-term fixes. 

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Jack Horgan-Jones and Mark Paul join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       The findings of the Irish Times and TG4 by Ipsos B&A poll throws up some interesting permutations for the Dublin Central byelection. Sinn Féin’s Janice Boylan leads the first preference vote at 21 per cent, Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats is in second place on 18 per cent, but as Jack explains, ‘second preference intention’ could be vital for both.

·       It is now a question of when and not if for Keir Starmer after disastrous local and parliamentary election results prompted a slew of Labour MPs to call on the prime minister to resign. A defiant speech on Monday did little to inspire party members as Starmer vowed to fight any leadership challenge. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has been given a route to challenge Starmer following Josh Simons’ decision to step down as MP for Makerfield.

·       And speaking to The Irish Times on Wednesday, former taoiseach Bertie Ahern addressed his recent comments on immigration, made while out on a canvass last week in Dublin Central. And while no apology was forthcoming, he did point out that he had “no problem with people from the Congo or Africa or anywhere else. I’ve good friends around Drumcondra, there’s a lot of the clergy in from Africa.” Could this controversy overshadow Fianna Fáil’s Ard Fheis taking place today and tomorrow as the party marks its 100th year in existence?

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       One Dublin mother’s 14-year wait for a bigger council house, the challenges for Ireland of a Reform-led UK government, and how difficult it has become for Irish diaspora to return home.

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The Irish Times and TG4 by Ipsos B&A poll shows Sinn Féin’s Janice Boylan leads the byelection race in Dublin Central with first preference votes at 21 per cent, Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats is in second place on 18 per cent. But Ennis will be in line for a lot of transfers from the fragmented left-wing vote, with Labour, People Before Profit and the Green Party all having candidates in the race. 

Veteran criminal Gerry Hutch is running in third place on 14 per cent, growing his vote from 9 percent in the last general election. Could his transfers play an important role for Boylan’s path to victory?

And Fianna Fáil’s John Stephens is way back in the field on 4 per cent. His cause won’t have been helped by Bertie Ahern’s comments on immigration, captured while the former taoiseach was out on a byelection canvass last week. The poll shows immigration trails cost-of-living and housing as an issue for voters ahead of election day on May 22nd.

Produced by John Casey.

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With just over a week until two by elections, host Hugh Linehan unpicks the race for Dublin Central in today’s Inside Politics.

Political Correspondents Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn reflect on then race so far, and which candidates will benefit most from those critical transfers.

Ahead of Irish Times polling for the consistence to be published on Thursday, where are the battlegrounds? And what are the issues on which they will be won and lost?

Produced by Andrew McNair and Declan Conlon. 

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In the week of Fianna Fail’s centenary Hugh and Pat are joined by reporter and historian Ronan McGreevy to trace the party’s origins and assess its legacy. 

Ronan explains how in 1926, with frustration growing at Sinn Féin’s ineffectiveness, Éamon de Valera and allies such as Seán Lemass formed Fianna Fáil, rapidly building hundreds of cumainn. He looks at how the party first entered the Dáil, helped create a two-party system and ultimately won power. 

The discussion also covers the party’s catch-all pragmatism, recent history of compromise with Fine Gael, and its mixed legacy of ties to corruption along with a commitment to democracy and state institutions.

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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       The findings of the Irish Times/TG4 opinion poll onfirst preference votes, carried out by Ipsos B&A, suggests three leading candidates in the Galway West byelection. It shows Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) at 17 per cent followed by Noel Thomas (Independent Ireland Party) on 16 per cent and Helen Ogbu (Labour) on 12 per cent.

·       In Dublin Central, candidate and veteran criminal Gerry Hutch rejected claims that recent comments he made about immigrants were racist. In a social media post on Sunday Hutch said, “illegal immigrants”, including Somalis, who were “mooching” their way into the country, should be interned in the Curragh.

·       And Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton’s recent confirmation that her department is facing a deficit of more than €500 million this year was dwarfed by the HSE’s decision to pause recruitment in non-frontline roles across significant parts of the country due to a projected €1 billion overspend this year.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Mark Paul on nationalist-led administrations running Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Finn McRedmond is not a fan of ‘grotty’ Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, and Donald Trump’s boundless appetite for self‑memorialisation. 

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Hugh Linehan hosts a live Inside Politics show in Galway’s Róisín Dubh with Pat Leahy, Ellen Coyne and Galway native Harry McGee ahead of the May 22nd Galway West byelection. Harry, fresh from his day of shadowing candidates on the canvass, profiles the constituency and what influences are at play in this huge electoral area, which spans urban, rural and Gaeltacht districts. The Irish Times politics team outlines why byelections are hard to predict, who the key candidates are, and what dynamics might shape the race; from Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas and the lingering impact of the fuel protests to the “vote left, transfer left” pact and Catherine Connolly’s influence. They also consider whether government candidates can break the usual byelection pattern, the Social Democrats’ momentum, and what the result could signal about longer-term shifts in Irish politics. Hugh also fields questions from our live audience, some of whom have travelled from as far away as Dundee in Scotland.

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Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       There are now 14 candidates confirmed as running in Dublin Central and 17 candidates in Galway West in the upcoming byelections on May 22nd. And while it looks like a tussle between those representing centre-left parties in the capital, Independent Ireland councillor Noel Thomas already looks to be the frontrunner in Galway West.

·       Sinn Féin are hopeful of a byelection win in leader Mary Lou McDonald’s own constituency of Dublin Central, not least because of reported unrest, albeit privately, over the party’s future direction under McDonald’s leadership.

·       And the Government announced this week that it will begin a six-month process of withdrawing tourist and commercial accommodation housing up to 16,000 Ukrainians here from August, coupled with the winding down of the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) scheme which will see the €600 monthly payment to hosts reducing to €400 in September and ceasing next March. What impact will this have on homeless figures and the number of integrated Ukrainians leaving the country?

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Gerry Hutch in sunny Lanzarote, the Ukrainian grandfathers fighting on the front line, and online misogynistic abuse thrives and proliferates. 

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Fintan O’Toole talks to Hugh Linehan about Fianna Fáil as the party’s 100th birthday draws near. Fintan credits the party with helping create a vibrant Irish middle class - if only by accident. But in recent decades the party has undermined that legacy, he says, through short-sighted, reactionary politics and especially through its approach to home ownership. 

They also discuss the recent fuel protests. 

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Hugh is joined by Irish Times Washington correspondent Keith Duggan to talk about the dramatic events at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where an intrusion by a gunman interrupted what was supposed to be president Donald Trump's first appearance at the annual event where the worlds of politics, media and celebrity socialise. 

They then talk about Trump's complicated and contradictory relationship with the media: his contempt for mainstream outlets, his hunger for their approval and his administration's pivot to podcasters and social media influencers during the 2024 campaign.

In part two they look at the evolution of conservative media figure Tucker Carlson and his recent public break with Trump over the Iran conflict. 

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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       The posters are going up, and candidates are preparing their pitch, but could Sinn Féin come up empty-handed in both the Dublin Central (party leader Mary Lou McDonald’s constituency) and Galway West byelection when the votes are counted on May 23rd? And does a vote against Government no longer mean a vote for the republican party?

·       Given how many prominent Irish politicians retire and become silent, perhaps former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s unguarded opinions should be viewed as refreshing. The recent release of his book Speaking My Mind and various podcast contributions point to someone unafraid to give their unvarnished opinion.

·       And President Catherine Connolly made her first trip overseas, attending the Defence of Democracy conference in Spain. Traditionalists might argue her first visit abroad should have been to meet another head of state.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Michael Jackson in Cork and the 10-year-old at his hotel, the ascent of Green Party leader Zack Polanski, and the cultural obsession with the 1990s.

Correction: In the course of a conversation about the aftermath of the fuel protests, Hugh Linehan said that carbon tax is applied pro rata to the price of fuel. That is not correct. Carbon tax, as the name suggests, is calculated on the carbon emissions of a fuel, not the price. Therefore price fluctuations do not affect the rate of carbon tax which is charged.

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The country is moving on from the protests that dominated the national discussion over Easter, even as what the protests actually meant continues to generate debate.

Leo Varadkar poured more fuel on the fire by telling rural dwellers that, far from them being the backbone that holds up the country, it is their city cousins who pay all the bills. Could these events mark the start of deeper urban-rural divide in politics? It seems very possible the protests will be looked back on as an important step in Ireland’s political evolution, wherever that leads.

Today Hugh is joined by UCD political economy lecturer Michael Byrne and political correspondent Ellen Coyne to talk about what the events of April 2026 have revealed about Irish society, Irish politics and how Irish people look at democracy, protest and the urban-rural divide. 

You can read Michael Byrne’s Substack blog on housing here. 

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Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       There were renewed questions about the future of Micheál Martin’s leadership in the aftermath of the fuel protests and the resignation of former Independent minister Michael Healy-Rae from Government. Fianna Fáil TDs James O'Connor, Ryan O’Meara and Albert Dolan outlined their “real and deep concern” with the Government’s response to the protests in a statement on Wednesday. However, any momentum behind a challenge to Martin had faded by Thursday night as Fianna Fáil Ministers and TDs rallied behind him.

·       Another consequence of the Government’s response to the fuel protests has been the potential impact on Fianna Fáil’s relationship with rural Ireland. Will Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan’s announcement last week that the Army was being called in to clear fuel protest blockades come back to haunt the party?

·       And President Catherine Connolly will meet her Council of State next Monday to consider the constitutionality of the recently passed International Protection Bill.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       US vice-president JD Vance takes issue with Pope Leo, excitement builds (mainly Pat’s) ahead of the Munster senior hurling championship, and how Irish energy prices compare amid the shock to oil and gas prices.

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Hugh, Pat and Ellen are joined by columnist Gerard Howlin to talk about a tumultuous day in Leinster House that capped a terrible week for the governing coalition:

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All agree that the scale of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s defeat in yesterday’s general election is hugely significant, for Hungary, Europe and beyond. But what exactly does the result mean? To find out Hugh talks to two journalists covering Hungarian affairs, Daniel Nolan and Ivan Nagy. They discuss how Orbán's populist playbook ran out of steam, why JD Vance's recent visit backfired and why Hungary now faces a painful economic reckoning. 

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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including the nuances of court reporting, Paris’s anti-Emily in Paris movement and the childlike wonder inspired by the Artemis mission to the Moon. 

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In the final instalment of our series on Labour’s time in government from 2011 to 2016, things get darker as it becomes clear economic progress will not be enough for voters to forgive the party for its role in austerity.

Labour’s poor showing in the 2014 local and European elections leads to a change at the top. But Joan Burton’s leadership does not revive Labour’s fortunes.

Then, when the disenchanted take to the streets to oppose water charges, the scale of public anger becomes clear - and much of it is still directed at Labour.

To wrap up the story, Pat and Hugh talk about the roads not travelled. Could Labour have avoided its 2016 general election wipeout, a political setback it has struggled to recover from ever since?

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Inside Politics is coming to Galway in May for a live recording. Get your ticketshere.

In part two of this three-part series on Labour's harrowing experience in government from 2011 to 2016, Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan follow the story of the first three years of that austerity-delivering coalition.

As punishing budget after punishing budget was delivered, Labour struggled to retain its political identity and principles while working with Fine Gael to present a united front to a world that saw Ireland as an economic basket case. Successes - exiting the EU-IMF bailout programme, securing legislation on abortion - are completely overshadowed by the harshness of austerity. For Labour and its party leader Eamon Gilmore, the political damage mounts.

Listen to part one here.

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Inside Politics is coming to Galway in May for a live recording. Get your ticketshere.

When Labour came to power in 2011 Ireland was in the depths of an economic crisis that had several more years to run. Their coalition with Fine Gael spent the next five years struggling to fix the economy while satisfying the EU and the IMF, who had bailed us out.

But it was Labour, led by Eamon Gilmore to its greatest ever number of seats in that election, who bore the brunt of voter frustration over the deep cutsLinehanx increases that the government then imposed. The party was decimated in the next election and voters, particularly of the working class, never fully trusted the party again. 

So why did Labour get the blame? Could Gilmore and Joan Burton, who succeeded him in 2014, have done things differently? In this series Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan relive the fateful events and decisions of that era and, a decade on, take a fresh look back at Labour’s collapse. 

In episode one they look at Eamon Gilmore, how Labour fought the 2011 election, the formation of the coalition with Fine Gael, how one of Labour’s key promises to voters was abandoned without a fight, and how the seeds of future trouble were sown with Labour's top brass taking on some of the trickiest ministries. 

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Oliver Sears, founder of Holocaust Awareness Ireland, joins Hugh to talk about his growing alarm at the rise of anti-Semitism in Ireland and what he sees as the failure to take it seriously. They discuss whether the political response to Israel's actions since October 7th 2023 has complicated that debate.

The conversation covers questions such as where legitimate criticism of Israel ends and anti-Semitism begins, whether anti-Zionism can be distinguished from antisemitism, and what Ireland's institutions should be doing differently.

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This week the Government decided to unveil a €250 million package to help citizens meet the elevated cost of fuel. And this could be just the start of a series of new efforts to keep down the cost of living. After ending such supports in the last Budget, it seems there is a limit to the Government’s ability to resist helping when times get tough and the money is there. But what will happen when a crisis coincides with tougher fiscal times? 

The renewed threat of inflation is having an impact across the economic and political landscape. Inflation means unpredictable costs and that is especially bad for one key area.

Other Government departments will be asked to bail out the Department of Education, which is facing another large budget overspend this year. Will this request brew inter-departmental strife? 

Our population is growing and our constitution stipulates there should be at least one TD for every 30,000 people. Should that rule be changed before we end up with excessive numbers of Deputies? Maybe - but a referendum on the issue is unlikely under this Government. 

Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including Newton Emerson on an issue uniting left and right in Belfast, Big Tech’s Big Tobacco moment and Malachy Clerkin’s report on Ireland’s heartbreaking loss against Czech Republic. 

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Seán Lemass is remembered as the man who changed Ireland.

Several opinion polls have noted Lemass as the country's most admired taoiseach.

He never left any papers of autobiography, but rather twenty-two hours of private interviews.

Hugh speaks to Irish Times reporter Ronan McGreevy who has gathered these lost interviews and collated them into a memoir in Lemass's own words.

Produced by JJ Vernon and Andrew McNair.

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Eoin Drea is a senior researcher at the Wilfried Martens Centre, the official think tank of the European People’s Party (of which Fine Gael is a member), and an occasional contributor to the opinion pages of The Irish Times, where he is often critical of Ireland’s approach to Europe. 

Recently he wrote that “Ireland’s recent hissy fit at not being invited to a pre-EU summit meeting in Belgium speaks volumes as to where Dublin ranks in the minds of our fellow EU members”. 

On today’s podcast he talks to Hugh about how Ireland’s influence in Europe has declined, why he believes Ireland’s political discourse around Europe is naive and lacking strategic depth and what “two-speed” EU development could look like - with or without Ireland as a key player. He also talks about how Ireland is viewed as being "in the pocket of the US multinationals".

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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       Israeli strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure marked an escalation in the US-Israeli war on Iran. With global oil and gas prices climbing, could we soon see Government measures to offset the cost to consumers?

·       Opposition parties were less than impressed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s showing during his St Patrick’s Day meeting with US president Donald Trump, but the world’s media praised Martin’s polite pushback on certain points.

·       The demolition of an illegally-built Co Meath home has captured the public imagination this week. It has served to highlight the urban-rural divide when it comes to one-off housing during the current housing crisis.

·       And the monthly payments to those housing Ukrainian people in their spare rooms will be wound down over the coming year.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Ronnie Delaney’s Olympic gold medal win inspires Frank McNally to victory, the generational talent of Oscar winner Jessie Buckley, and the enduring fascination around JFK jnr.

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Taoiseach Michel Martin has been meeting US president Donald Trump as part of the annual St Patrick’s Day pageantry. Martin once again faced the challenge of outlining Ireland’s positions on issues from tariffs to wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran while maintaining his personal dignity and without antagonising Trump to Ireland's detriment. It was no easy task, with the US president criticising UK prime minister Keir Starmer, attacking Europe on its migration and energy policies and misgendering President Catherine Connolly. So how did Martin do? Pat Leahy reports from Washington.

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Ellen Coyne and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s St Patrick’s Day visit to The White House to meet US president Donald Trump could prove awkward should he face questions about the US and Israel’s military action against Iran, and its impact on the Middle East, Gulf regions and soaring fuel prices. Last year’s meeting was a minefield to be navigated – perhaps Martin has learned from that experience.

·       A far less fraught meeting took place on Friday when the Taoiseach welcomed Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer to the UK-Ireland summit at Fota House in Cork. Security and co-operation were the order of the day, as Anglo-Irish relations continued to improve from a post-Brexit low.

·       And the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided this week, after a mere fifteen years, not to bring criminal charges against anyone arising from the Moriarty tribunal’s final report in 2011. Michael Lowry and Denis O’Brien no doubt welcomed the decision.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       The brave and anonymous women we all owe a debt, the beef between farmers and Government, and Patrick Freyne’s golden age of male role models.

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As war in the Middle East rages on, the world's superpowers are making diplomatic representations to end it, and contingencies to protect their economies from the knock-on effects, namely oil and natural gas prices.

China, which buys oil from Iran, would rather the conflict hadn’t begun and would like to see it concluded, according to Irish Times Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton. However its reliance on foreign oil is small in comparison to other nations.

On today's podcast Hugh is joined by Denis and Political Editor Pat Leahy who says European governments, including Ireland, have a much greater problem with the volatility of the energy markets.

The Irish government was one of the few incumbent European governments that was re-elected after the volatility brought on by the war in Ukraine. How will European politicians handle the Iran war challenge?

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The Irish-American experience fitted seamlessly into the story of the United States as a “nation of immigrants”. In the Trump era that narrative has fallen out of favour. Family ties are weakening over time and the old political associations are changing too. So where does that leave our relationship with the 38.5 million Americans who ticked “Irish” in the last US census? 

On today’s Inside Politics podcast Professor Liam Kennedy talks to Hugh Linehan about how Irish American identity has changed over the decades, how traces of it persist through popular culture and the contrast between the liberalism of Joe Biden and the nationalism of Steve Bannon. They also discuss the "soft power" of the Irish-American relationship, as exemplified by the shamrock ceremony that takes place next week in Washington, and whether it too is on the wane.

Professor Liam Kennedy is director of the Clinton Institute for American Studies at University College Dublin.

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Naomi O’Leary and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       After six days of US-Israeli attacks on Iran, the conflict is escalating and has spread to Lebanon which has experienced sustained airstrikes from Israel. Iran has vowed to continue targeting Gulf countries having fired missile and drone attacks into Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The US has entered into a conflict with no clear focus or potential resolution. Trump’s demands on social media for an ‘unconditional surrender’ from Iran seem like wishful thinking at this point.

·       Irish consumers are already feeling the consequences of the conflict in the Middle East as the average cost of 500 litres of home heating oil was put at just under €800 on Thursday, an increase of nearly 60 per cent in less than a week. The Government was quick to react, asking the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to launch an immediate investigation of domestic suppliers here.

·       And research into last year’s presidential election by the Electoral Commission threw up some interesting results, not least that almost half of those who spoiled their vote, more than 12 per cent of the total ballot, did so because they didn’t like any of the candidates.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Horse manure sparks tension in the Liberties, mobile phones can be ageing over time, and does an arts degree retain any value these days?

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While the world’s attention is focused on the Middle East, Inside Politics looks at the US sphere of influence on Cuba, which is facing ever tightening economic sanctions.

Cuban governments have survived attempts to overthrow it by multiple US administrations going all the way back to Dwight Eisenhower following the revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959.

Over the decades, Cuban governments have managed to survive crippling economic sanctions largely because of its allies in the region, namely Venezuela.

In recent weeks, the US Navy has amassed a huge number of vessels in the Caribbean Sea to stop oil imports to Cuba, and the US government has threatened sanctions on Mexico if it tries to deliver oil to the island. 

But why now? And what impact will it have on the Cuban government, and on the lives of the people there.

The journalist Hannah McCarthy travelled to Cuba to find out.

“What we’re seeing is just a grinding halt of daily life” she said.

“Buses not running. Rolling blackouts that were already happening before are increasing" and "people's lives have contracted to finding food or running water".

"Cuban's are fed up" she added.

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Denis Staunton, author of The Irish Times Global Briefing newsletter on international affairs, joins Hugh to talk about the escalating war in the Middle East. They talk about how Iran gradually lost its status as a regional heavyweight, America's unchecked and unrivalled military power, the shift under Trump to a strategy of decapitation when dealing with enemies, the potential economic fallout from Iran's strikes on Gulf states, potential scenarios for a post-war Iran and Europe's timid response to America's breach of international law.

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Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       In the Dáil on Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin issued an apology on behalf of the State to survivors of abuse in industrial and reformatory schools. Nobody doubts the sincerity of such apologies, but given the number of them over the years, perhaps their rhetoric should be matched with the practicalities and supports survivors need.

·       With the Residential Tenancies Bill comes into effect from March 1st, Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty was accused of “scaremongering and misinformation” by Tánaiste Simon Harris in the Dáil on Thursday. Doherty pointed to research carried out by I-Res Reit, the State’s largest corporate landlord, which suggested a potential increase in rent returns of up to 25 per cent resulting from the new rent rules. The new rules are designed to attract new investors into the rental property sector, and what could be more attractive than charging higher rents?

·       The glacial speed at which vital infrastructure projects such as the Greater Dublin Drainage Project are delivered here could be accelerated by the establishment of a new Infrastructure Regulatory Simplification Unit in Minister for Public Expenditure and Infrastructure Jack Chambers’s department.

·       And the upcoming byelections in Dublin Central and Galway West, with seats vacated by Paschal Donohoe and Catherine Connolly respectively, are looking increasingly hard to call.

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Campaigner Maria Steen, whose failed bid to launch a run for the presidency last year put the spotlight on the nominations process, talks to Hugh and Ellen Coyne about that campaign. She talks about whether she could have won had she got that nomination and why not enough councils supported her.

She also talks about Catherine Connolly's first 100 days in office, why she is uncomfortable with the labels 'conservative' and 'right wing' and whether Catholicism is a hindrance to taking part in public life.

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Under this coalition Government Ireland's climate ambitions are colliding with political reality. Hugh talks to Climate and Science Correspondent Caroline O'Doherty about how the current Government is retreating from its own climate legislation even as energy-hungry data centres multiply, agricultural emissions remain stubbornly high and extreme weather batters the country. From Europe's looming fines to the politics of wind farms, “herd culling” and airport expansion, they look at why Ireland is falling far short of its legally-binding 2030 targets and what that means for the future.

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Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       The sharp criticism that greeted a review of allocation of special needs assistants in schools around the country prompted a hasty retreat by Government. The review has now been paused which should buy the Government some time to soothe tensions.

·       The Government are yet to act on their own voiced concerns around under-16s using social media. The problems arising from children using these platforms has been thoroughly diagnosed, but what will actually be put in place to address them?

·       Ireland’s only directly-elected mayor, Limerick mayor John Moran, is finding it difficult to achieve what he has set out to do in his role, and has questioned whether there is a strategy in place to “create sufficient pressure that I might simply walk away”.

·       The International Protection Bill is quickly working its way through the Dáil to be in place by June, in time for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum which will take effect then.

·       And splashed across every front page on the planet this week was former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor who had been detained by police on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       A revolt against Microsoft in a small German state (which Hugh fully supports), doyen of the Irish business world Michael Smurfit, and the street sweepers who keep Dhaka in Bangladesh ticking over.

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13 months in, Donald Trump's second term is proving to be a much more radical political project than his first. On today's podcast Hugh is joined by Fintan O'Toole to talk about whether the Trump administration's ideology, use of state power and rhetoric now make comparisons with the fascism of the 20th century appropriate. What would fascism look like in today’s media, institutional and geopolitical context? 

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Disputes over freedom of speech, censorship and the shifting norms of acceptable discourse are part and parcel of modern political debate. Now the debate has come to the Leaving Cert. A review of content of the optional Politics and Society subject is underway, with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment saying consideration will be given “to potential risks associated with including theories that may be at odds with a human rights approach”.

In response, one teacher wrote to Irish Times philosophy columnist Joe Humphreys to voice concern that proposed changes will prevent students from learning about 'difficult' ideas.

Joe wrote about it in his latest Unthinkable column and on today's podcast he talks to Hugh about the teaching of politics in school, the leftward skew of 'key thinkers' featured in the curriculum and how the race for CAO points means the exploration of ideas is of secondary importance to second level students.

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Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       This week saw the European Parliament approve a € 90 billion package to support Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia. The loan was approved by a comfortable majority, but among those who voted against it were Sinn Féin’s two MEPs, Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion. The decision to oppose the measure put them in the company of the likes of Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland, Hungary’s Fidesz and France’s Rassemblement National.

·       The Government has made a U-turn on the regulation of short-term lets here. After consultation with the tourism industry, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke decided to change the previous plan to restrict such lets in towns with populations of more than 10,000 to populations of at least 20,000, this move would effectively lift the threat of regulation from potentially thousands of Airbnbs across rural towns here.

·       The mood was buoyant at the Social Democrat national conference in Cork with the afterglow of Catherine Connolly’s presidential election win in evidence, along with polls showing the party has begun to put daylight between itself and the Greens and Labour, who occupy the same political space. Are they about to spearhead a united left movement ahead of the next general election?

·       Plus, sport and politics collide ahead of the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League fixtures against Israel in the autumn. There have been calls for a boycott, but the FAI confirmed on Thursday that the matches would go ahead as planned. 

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How Ireland Voted is a regular publication featuring academic analysis of Irish elections. The latest edition looks at the 2024 general election and features an essay by Gail McElroy and Stefan Müller that puts party manifestos under the microscope, identifying which topics get the most attention and where the parties line up from left to right. The analysis suggests a major leftward shift in Irish politics over the past decade. Why has this happened, and who is filling the gap this move has left on the right of the political spectrum?

Gail and Theresa Reidy, who edited the book, talk to Hugh and Pat about what the analysis tells us about Irish politics. They also talk about candidate selection practices, which is the subject of Theresa's own essay.

Gail McElroy is a professor in the Department of Political Science at Trinity College, Dublin.

Theresa Reidy is a professor in the Department of Government and Politics at University College Cork.

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John Mearsheimer returns to the podcast to talk to Hugh about his view of geopolitics and global security in 2026.

They talk about Donald Trump's unilateralism, the security architecture of Europe, the consequences for Europe of the war in Ukraine, US Middle East policy and threats to liberal democracy.

Mearsheimer paints a pessimistic picture, warning that the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza will have poisonous long-term consequences that most people fail to grasp.

Professor John Mearsheimer is a political scientist and geopolitical analyst at the University of Chicago.

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Pat Leahy and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       When it comes to the housing crisis or whether to spend the exchequer surplus, the results from the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll suggest an electorate that wants to see some action. This is despite Government’s claims that real progress has been made on housing.

·       One of the most noteworthy finds of the latest Irish/Ipsos B&A opinion poll is the uptick in Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s approval rating. He is now the most popular party leader here who continues to have the backing of more than 80 per cent of Fianna Fáil voters. Perhaps he has now put Jim Gavin’s fiasco of a presidential campaign behind him?

·       And the latest tranche of Epstein files is proving to be quite damaging for UK prime minister Keir Starmer, with an apology issued this week to victims of Jeffrey Epstein over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador at a time when his friendship with Epstein was already public knowledge.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       The Melania Trump film, a world without nuclear arms control, and why transgender rights misinformation is the last thing schools need.

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Last week the Government confirmed it will push ahead with legislation to change how the Defence Forces are deployed overseas, including the removal of the Triple Lock when Irish troops are part of an international force.

The Triple Lock makes it necessary for any deployment to be ratified by the Dáil, the Government, and the United Nations. The proposed change removes the need for UN approval. 

Opposition parties and many independent TDs and senators are opposed to the change. That includes Independent Senator Tom Clonan, who joins Hugh today to explain why. 

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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       The floods brought by Storm Chandra earlier this week devastated eastern parts of the country, and once again exposed our lack of preparation for extreme weather events. The painfully slow delivery of flood defence infrastructure will be highlighted repeatedly as climate change makes such weather events more common.

·       Some of the biggest developers in the State are unhappy with the rental reforms scheduled to be introduced on March 1st. They view them as unconstitutional and have threatened legal action against the Government if they fail to engage with them on it.

·       And the death of 16-year-old Grace Lynch, hit by a scrambler motorbike on a pedestrian crossing on the Ratoath Road last Sunday, shows the urgent need for proper enforcement of laws to stop illegal use of scramblers in urban areas of the country.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       US composer Philip Glass upsets Donald Trump, why not all rankings are worth paying attention to, and the mega success of K-Pop Demon Hunters.

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Legislation to reform Ireland's residential property rental landscape is being fast-tracked through the Dáil. What impact will it have? On security of tenure, we will now have some of the most robust protections for renters in Europe. But rents are likely to become even more unaffordable, says Michael Byrne, a lecturer at UCD's School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice.

Hugh and Jack are joined by Michael to talk about how the legislation will change the landscape for renters. They also talk about the ideas in Michael's new book, Beyond Generation Rent, and the radical changes that are happening in Ireland's housing market, from the growing proportion of institutional landlords to the massive investment in social housing.

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Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics:

·       This week saw EU-US relations shift as the near-confrontation over Greenland perhaps showed the best way to handle US President Donald Trump’s demand to take over the Arctic island. The decision by Trump to withdraw the threat of tariffs against eight European countries opposing his plan for Greenland represents a rare climbdown.

·       Bord Bia chairman Larrry Murrin faced calls from Sinn Féin and the Irish Farmers’ Association for his resignation this week amid a controversy over his company Dawn Farms importing Brazilian beef.

·       The proposed reforms to the national rent control system due to come into effect on March 1st might be a hard sell for Government due to rent increases and evictions that may arise from the changes.

·       And former Fianna Fáil senator and MEP Brian Crowley has passed away at the age of 61. A native of Bandon, Co. Cork, topped the poll in every European election he contested – in 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and in 2014 – and was a well-liked figure both inside and outside Fianna Fáil.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Emer McLysaght on the joy and hidden challenges of living alone, the disappearance of former New York Giant Sam Beale, and the upcoming Six Nations Championship.

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Jack Power and Jack Horgan-Jones join Pat Leahy to assess a dramatic week in which the transatlantic alliance took a further battering from US president Donald Trump and his demands to acquire Greenland.

After Trump used a rambling address at Davos to reveal he would not use force but would 'remember' a failure to hand the vast territory over, EU leaders may now wait and see. Will threatened tariffs become a reality? There are two member state heads in particular whose response to whatever Trump does next should be watched.

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Harry McGee, Ellen Coyne and Mark Paul join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       The Minister with responsibility for artificial intelligence (AI), Niamh Smyth, met with executives from social media company X on Friday over concerns about their Grok app. The app has been in the headlines because of its ability to produce non-consensual intimate images. Current law bans sharing of intimate images but does not appear to criminalise generating them – what is the Government’s next step?

·       The level of energy needed to power a data centre was laid bare this week. An internal Government document showed that a single facility in west Dublin consumes 10 times the electricity of a nearby pharmaceutical plant employing 2,000 people, equivalent to enough power for 200,000 homes.

·       And more ‘psychodrama’ for the Tories this week as Robert Jenrick, the Conservative shadow justice secretary, defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK after being sacked from the Conservative shadow cabinet.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       The US and Denmark battle for control of Greenland, Inside Politics veteran Jennifer Bray is releasing a book (and it’s rather good), a reader’s letter questions how dog-friendly we should be as a society, and who is next for Donald Trump’s crosshairs?

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Despite global turmoil, the focus of Irish politics in 2026 is set to remain on matters close to home. Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to identify the main challenges facing the Government this year, particularly those on the desks of Minister for Housing James Brown, Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien and Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and how global events could impinge on those domestic affairs.

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US president Donald Trump wants to acquire Greenland, asserting strategic and security needs but also a 'psychological need' to take over the vast, frozen island from Denmark. So how do Greenlanders themselves feel about this idea? Derek Scally is in Greenland's capital Nuuk to find out. He talks to Hugh Linehan about a people whose passion for total independence may have been catalysed by Trump's covetousness.

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Jack Horgan-Jones and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       The long-anticipated EU-Mercosur trade deal was provisionally approved on Friday, despite the opposition of Ireland, France and three other countries. The deal has been immensely unpopular in Irish political life for a long time, thanks largely to efforts by the farming lobby. But there is now a sense that some figures in the European Commission are disappointed the Government did not make the case for the economic upsides of the deal.

·       Taoiseach Micheál Martin was in China this week on a four-day visit. Trade was also high on the agenda there, with China eager to import more high-quality food from Ireland. Human rights were mentioned in passing, and there was condemnation by the Taoiseach of Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime in Venezuela, the irony seemingly lost on the Fianna Fáil leader given the country he was visiting.

·       And the Taoiseach’s party colleague, Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless, wants to ditch the one-bed en suites as the Government looks to move towards a co-living model involving communal space for university accommodation. A bathroom of one’s own is a luxury students can go without.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       The Saipan film reopens old wounds for Kevin Kilbane, Seán Moncrieff can’t throw away all those old electronic cables, and boycotting Doonbeg is the least we can do to oppose Donald Trump’s appetite for war.

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After the weekend’s US airstrikes on Venezuela, and arrest of its president Nicolás Maduro by US special forces, The Irish Times’ China Correspondent Denis Staunton has been pondering what it means for the international order, and territorial disputes around the world.

“Events in Venezuela have emboldened Trump and we’ve seen him step up his rhetoric around Greenland” he told the Inside Politics podcast.

Donald Trump has held no punches in expressing his desire for the US to take over Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

On Sunday, the US president told reporters Washington needed Greenland for “national security” with White House officials suggesting military operations to achieve it aren’t off the table.

Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen said: “If the United States were to choose to attack another Nato country, then everything would come to an end”.

And in the Irish Times’ Global Briefing newsletter, Denis writes “If the past year is anything to go by, there is no reason to believe that Europe will put up any kind of fight, military or otherwise”.

What other dominos at play within the international order could fall in the wake of Trump’s arrest of Nicolás Maduro?

Inside Politics is presented by Hugh Linehan and produced by Declan Conlon, with JJ Vernon on sound. 

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For part two of our festive ‘Ask Me Anything’ episode Hugh Linehan is joined on today’s Inside Politics podcast by Jack Horgan Jones, Cormac McQuinn and Ellen Coyne.

In this round they tackle listener questions on a border poll, citizen’s assemblies and why we keep on calling our country ‘the State’.

Thanks to everyone who listened to the podcast in 2025. From all of us on the Inside Politics team we wish you a very happy new year.

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This episode was first published in July 2025.

You can tell an awful lot about a society by who it labels a genius. You can also learn from who it excludes from that category, who it enables and what it is prepared to tolerate from them. The tortured poet, the rebellious scientist, the monstrous artist, or indeed the tech disruptor.

All of these archetypes feature in The Genius Myth, the new book by the journalist, author and podcaster Helen Lewis. She joins Hugh to talk about so-called geniuses, from Elon Musk to The Beatles, the modern influence of concepts like IQ, and what it takes to be a political genius.

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Hugh is joined by Jack Horgan Jones, Cormac McQuinn and Ellen Coyne for part one of our traditional festive AMA. This year listeners asked about the presidential nomination process, the influence of party leaders, the need for a dedicated Minister for Defence and the stability of centrist politics.

Wishing all our listeners a very Happy Christmas.

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Dr Kevin Cunningham of TUD is one of Ireland’s most insightful political scientists and pollsters. At the Inside Politics live show in early December he joined Hugh, Pat, Cormac and Ellen on stage at the IFI to talk about Irish voters. What are the issues that really motivate them? Are they driven more by pragmatism or ideology? Today's episode is an excerpt of that conversation.

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It was a difficult week for Micheal Martin and FIanna Fáil with the delivery of the report on the party's failed presidential campaign. Martin's position as leader is safe for now, but questions and doubts remain. In part one of today's podcast Pat delivers his assessment of the state of play within Fianna Fáil. 

In part two Jack Power reports from Brussels on the ongoing EU summit, where European leaders have agreed on a package of financial support for Ukraine. But the deal came after difficult negotiations and only after Plan A - using frozen Russian assets to pay Ukraine - was ditched. Instead, the EU will fund the package itself. Jack explains how the deal went down and why it was a significant moment within European geopolitics. 

And finally Pat, Jack and Hugh pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including a warning on antisemitism, a profile of Tommy Robinson and a look at the new season of Emily in Paris. 

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Earlier this month Hugh, Ellen, Cormac and Pat got on stage at the IFI in Dublin for our annual end of year live show. Today we’re bringing you an excerpt from the show as the panel discuss their choice for the standout moments from the political year.

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Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan talks to Hugh and Pat about antisemitism after the Bondi beach attack, the progress of the Occupied Territories Bill, Ireland's security needs, why and how the Government wants to reduce inward migration, regret over his decision to support Jim Gavin's nomination for the presidency and his own ambition to one day lead Fianna Fáil.

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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to look back on the week in politics:

And finally the panel pick their favourite Irish Times journalism of the week.

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Eoin Lenihan joins Hugh to discuss his bestselling book Vandalising Ireland. In the book Lenihan sets out his argument that the choices made by successive governments, on issues from migration to the economy, have destroyed the country.

He points to an alliance between the political establishment and the media, academics and NGOs, all intent on stripping Ireland of its original identity and replacing it with a globalised, multi-cultural society. The book calls for national, cultural and social renewal.

In the interview they discuss the lost Ireland of Lenihan's childhood in County Clare, the extent to which Ireland's problems are particular to Ireland, whether the Irish media is too compliant and why Lenihan believes our migration policies will lead to 'parallel societies' with negative consequences.

In the second half of the interview they discuss Lenihan's background as a researcher into extreme groups, including his work using social media to identify connections between journalists and the leftist movement Antifa. They also discuss his defunct social media persona 'Progdad'.

Vandalising Ireland: How the Government, NGOs, Academia and the Media Are Engineering a New Globalist Ireland by Dr Eoin Lenihan is available in bookshops and online now.

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The appearance of drones of unknown origin in Dublin last week around the time of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit again highlighted the security challenges of the present day and Ireland's lack of capability to act in its own defence.

Neutrality remains a popular policy, as again demonstrated recently by the election of Catherine Connolly as president. That popularity does not answer the question of how much Ireland should invest in its own defence. Ireland diverges from other neutral European countries in our low defence spending and reliance on others for protection, information and security. But against those calling for bigger defence budgets, others warn of militarisation and point out the money could be better spent elsewhere.

So does being a voice for peace preclude greater defence spending, or is defence spending a crucial part of a viable neutrality? On today's podcast Hugh is joined by Naomi O'Leary to pick apart the elements of Ireland's approach to defence and neutrality, how we compare to others and what questions will arise as Ireland comes under increasing pressure in Europe to boost capabilities.

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Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       Ireland, along with Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands, will boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in protest of Israel’s participation. RTÉ said in a statement on Thursday that it would be “unconscionable” for Ireland to partake in the event given the “appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there”.

·       Far more contentious was the proposal to rename Rathgar’s Herzog Park in south Dublin. Named in honour of Belfast-born Chaim Herzog, Israel’s president from 1983 to 1993, who spent his early childhood in Dublin. Perhaps including the Irish-Jewish community in the process might have dampened a lot of the controversy that has erupted this week.

·       Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was in Ireland this week, but it was drones more than diplomatic ties that made the headlines. It exposed the gaps in our national security, especially with Ireland holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from next July, when a lot of state leaders will be visiting these shores.

·       And will the Government’s new infrastructure plan to accelerate the delivery of vital projects bear fruit before the next general election?

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Patrick Freyne’s continuing vendetta against Kevin the Carrot, a row over state pensions could destabilise Germany’s new coalition, and the sudden death of ‘low-key national treasure’ Hugh Wallace.

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Terry Prone is a legend in Irish political communication. Her memoir, I’m Glad You Asked Me That, looks back at her remarkable career.

On today’s Inside Politics podcast, she talks to Hugh Linehan about the early days of political interviewing on TV, her experience of working with both Garret Fitzgerald and Charles Haughey, her ringside seat at some of the biggest political stories of the last four decades and what people don’t understand about the work she does.

I’m Glad You Asked Me That: The Political Years is published by Red Stripe

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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk through the week in politics:

Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week.

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When Catherine Connolly was elected president with the support of every left-wing party, it sparked new hope on the left that greater cooperation between Sinn Fein, Labour, the Greens, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit could reap further electoral dividends. How realistic is that hope? And how would a left alliance actually work? Hugh talks to academic Aidan Regan and political correspondent Cormac McQuinn.

Aidan Regan is a professor of political economy at the school of politics and international relations at University College Dublin

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Denis Staunton has reported from Washington, London and Berlin. Now, as Irish Times China Correspondent, he is using his new vantage point to make sense of this turbulent era as it looks from outside the Western world. In a new newsletter exclusively for Irish Times subscribers, he writes about what’s happening in geopolitics, why it matters and how it affects you.

You can sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing here.

On today's podcast Denis talks to Hugh about some of those themes, including the growing tension between China and Japan, China's technological advancements and the economic policies of Xi Jinping and the developing situation in Ukraine.

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Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·      As Paschal Donohoe departs for pastures new at the World Bank, will his absence weaken Government? And does Simon Harris possess the right skillset for the role of Minister for Finance? It might not matter if the qualified doctors who have run the Department of Health are anything to go by.

·      Paschal leaving has led to a Cabinet reshuffle with Fine Gael deputy leader Helen McEntee becoming the first woman to serve as the Minister responsible for both foreign affairs and defence. She will inherit many issues in need of urgent attention, not least the progression of the Occupied Territories Bill.

·      And the Oireachtas transport committee was told on Wednesday that Dublin’s planned MetroLink will need about 8,000 workers for its construction. Speaking to RTÉ radio, transportation expert Brian Caulfield suggested that “something like an Olympic village” would be necessary to house workers on the project.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Emerson Newton on how the Left are agitating for a border poll when conditions are far from ideal, and Diarmaid Ferriter on why authenticity matters more than spin in politics. 

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In his final interview as an Irish politician before leaving for a new role at the World Bank, Paschal Donohoe talks to Hugh and Pat about his decision to leave politics and his record as Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure, both roles he has held since 2016. The wide-ranging discussion looks at:

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After 14 years in Dáil Éireann and a decade in ministerial office, Fine Gael's Paschal Donohoe today announced his resignation. He leaves to take up a senior role at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.

Why did Paschal Donohoe decide to go now, and where is he going?

How important and consequential was Donohoe, as a politician and a minister? And just how prudent was 'Prudent Paschal'?

Where does the move leave Fine Gael and the Government?

They also look at the 'mini-reshuffle' precipitated by Donohoe's departure, including Tánaiste Simon Harris's move to take over in the Department of Finance.

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Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·      The inauguration of Ireland’s 10th president in in St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle, on Tuesday, saw Catherine Connolly deliver a stirring address, amid a real testament to the health of democracy in this country, with all sides coming together after an at times brutal election campaign. Perhaps this is something our immediate neighbours and those across the Atlantic could one day emulate.

·      The Government’s long-awaited housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, was published this week with the focus firmly on lifting families out of homelessness. A target of 300,000 new homes by 2030, ramping up the role of the Land Development Agency, and greatly reducing red tape when delivering homes, are some aspects of a plan that needs to become a reality if this Government is to be judged a success.

·      And Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin faces continued pressure over the failed Jim Gavin presidency campaign, but Wednesday’s parliamentary party meeting revealed that the review of the campaign will now not be completed until early December.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       The BBC makes mistakes but shouldn’t bend to Donald Trump’s will, Mark Paul on accents and belonging, and how Ireland’s forthcoming presidency of the European Council should focus the 'hot mess of uncoordinated gibberish' of some policy positions here. 

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The government has come under increasing intense criticism of its record on housing, and the sluggishness with which its addressed the need to build more affordable homes.

Today on Inside Politics, Hugh Linehan discusses the issues with the planning and regulatory system that some argue is slowing down the process of boosting housing supply in Ireland.

In an essay published in The Irish Times last month, the tech billionaire and founder of Stripe John Collison argued construction, and infrastructure projects more generally, are being held back by regulation and judicial barriers stemming from the planning corruption scandals of the 1980’s and 90’s.

On the podcast today is Orla Hegarty, assistant professor at University College Dublin and a fellow at the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, dismissed Mr Collisons case, saying: “It jumps to a solution that doesn’t relate to the problem”.

“There is a thinking that if the market isn’t functioning, the issue must be regulation. That’s a really naive take.

”The evidence doesn’t support that" she added.

Hugh is also joined by Sean Keyes, the executive director of the think tank Progress Ireland, for which John Collison is a significant financial donor, says the argument is not solely about de-regulation.

“We need to build new agency. We need to build state capacity”.

He added: “What the national planning framework does is basically put a thump on the scale of building in Dublin”.

Produced by JJ Vernon and Andrew McNair

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As Catherine Connolly is inaugurated as Ireland’s 10th President on Tuesday, Inside Politics asks how the country’s European partners will be preparing for her presidency.

What issues from the Connolly campaign may have raised eyebrows on the continent, and how might she navigate Ireland’s EU presidency in 2026?

Hugh Linehan is joined by The Irish Times correspondent in Berlin Derek Scally, and in the studio by Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary.

Produced by Andrew McNair.

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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·      With renewed criticism from left-wing Opposition leaders of Tánaiste Simon Harris, over remarks he made about migration numbers in Ireland being too high, has it become almost impossible to have an honest discussion around immigration?

·      Taoiseach Micheál Martin is currently away at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil, but the fallout from Fianna Fáil’s disastrous presidential campaign shows little sign of ebbing away. Could a potential heave against the party leader be gathering momentum?  

·      Could the controversy surrounding Ivan Yates and his admission that he advised Fianna Fáil's presidential candidate Jim Gavin, and the subsequent conflict of interest that created, all have been avoided if he highlighted it early on in the presidential campaign?

·      And Mayor-elect of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, has been branded a ‘commie’, among other things, by US President Donald Trump and various members of the Republican Party, but has Mamdani shown the way forward for politicians mounting an election campaign?

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·      The annual British search for Irish poppy refuseniks, the $20,000 AI home robot butler, and Westmeath footballer Luke Loughlin on the issue of recreational drug use and the GAA. 

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Iain Dale has written books profiling prime ministers, monarchs and dictators. Next up from the LBC broadcaster and podcaster is a book on the people - all men - who have served as taoiseach. 

The Taoiseach: A Century of Political Leadership profiles all who have held the office and explores the evolution of the role. But Dale didn’t write it himself this time, instead drafting in a roster of Irish writers to take on a taoiseach each. 

Dale talks to Hugh about Ireland’s political leaders and what examining them has taught him about Irish history and politics. Along the way they they take a lengthy diversion into Iain’s real area of expertise: UK politics. 

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Ellen Coyne and Naomi O’Leary join Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics:

·      In the wake of Catherine Connolly’s emphatic presidential election win, could there now be a legitimate prospect of a left-wing government arising from the next general election?  

·      With anger still simmering in Fianna Fáil’s ranks after a disastrous presidential campaign, is party leader Micheál Martin looking at a leadership challenge down the line? Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1 this week, the Taoiseach criticised “unacceptable” and “hurtful” comments about him from Fianna Fáil rebels like fellow Cork TD James O’Connor.

·      The coalition partners are becoming more openly critical of immigration. Perhaps they are now following the example of other European countries?

·      And Naomi O’Leary discusses the Dutch political scene with reports suggesting the centrist D66 party caused a big upset in Dutch elections this week.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·      Mary ‘Mae’ McGee who successfully fought the ban on contraception in Ireland, and Newton Emerson on how Fine Gael’s anti-British rhetoric came back to bite Heather Humphreys.

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This week’s Inside Politics podcast with Hugh Linehan explores what a united Ireland would actually involve, Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole and Belfast Telegraph journalist Sam McBride have written a new book that addresses the case both for and against Irish unity.

The structure of the book is unusual. Each journalist writes two long chapters: one arguing for unity, and one arguing against. O’Toole says the aim is to “give people a sense of what a decent argument looks like”. Too often, he suggests, the subject becomes a referendum about identity rather than a discussion of consequences. McBride agrees, saying most people “don’t get beyond the binary of are you for or against it” even though “none of us know what it would mean”.

Practical questions run through the book: healthcare integration, welfare harmonisation, education, taxation and policing. McBride stresses the range of possible constitutional models. Northern Ireland could remain semi-autonomous within a united Ireland; or the island could adopt a more federal structure. “We don’t even know the most basic elements of this,” he says.

Their conclusion is that everyone on the island will soon need to make an informed choice. And that requires informed understanding, not simplistic assumptions.

For and Against a United Ireland is published by the Royal Irish Academy.

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Pat Leahy joins Hugh Linehan for the final episode of Election Daily for this campaign. They look at the impact of Connolly's victory on left-wing politics, wonder if Ireland is about to have a more outspoken president than ever before and consider Simon Harris and Micheál Martin's political futures.

Thanks to everyone who listened to Election Daily. Inside Politics will return on Wednesday.

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